Almost Home
by Kharma
Summary: the sequel to 'From the Depths'. You must read that first for this to make any sense.


Title: Almost Home  
  
Rating: G  
  
Archive: ff.net, yes. Anyone else, please ask.  
  
Disclaimer: Nothing but the plot actually belongs to me, everything and everyone else belongs to whoever it is that makes the programme.  
  
Summary: Sydney's father writes a letter  
  
Notes: The long-awaited (by me, anyway) sequel to 'From the Depths', you really need to read that first for this to make any sense. This hasn't been beta'ed so any mistakes are mine and mine alone.  
  
Feedback would be much appreciated.  
  
My Darling Daughter,  
It's been over a year since I had to disappear and leave you and Jenny to live your lives without me, but now the time has come to let you know why I left the way I did.  
  
Before I tell you where I've been for the last year, I have a few other things to say. I know about Jenny and Preston and, although I wish things were different, I do understand and I wish them both all the happiness in the world. God knows, Jenny deserves to be happy after what I put her through over the past year. If she has to move on, and I suppose she must, she could do a lot worse than one of the Bailey boys.  
  
Speaking of whom, I'm glad to see that you finally got your head out of the clouds and took a look at what was right in front of your face. I'm just sorry that it took such a terrible accident for you to realise that you're in love with Nigel. The day you got married was both the happiest and saddest day of my life. It was the happiest because my little girl was finally marrying the perfect man for her and the saddest because I couldn't be there to give you away.  
  
I'm sure that Preston did a wonderful job as stand-in father of the bride and Claudia was an amazing best man (or should that be best woman?). I understand that she even insisted on arranging Nigel's bachelor party, including the visit to a strip club. I can just imagine the look on Nigel's face when she told him she was joining them.  
  
I saw the wedding pictures in the college newsletter and you looked so beautiful in your mother's wedding dress. I know that she would be as proud of you as I am. I'm sure she would love Nigel and I just hope that he makes you half as happy as she made me.  
  
I expect you're wondering how come I know everything that's been going on and I am going to tell you but first you have to promise not to be angry with Nigel, he was only doing what I thought best for you and Jenny. In fact, I've lost count of the number of times that he's begged me to get in touch with you and let you know that I'm okay, but I could never do it without putting your life in danger. As it was, I was risking Nigel by keeping in touch with him, but it was something I had to do. It's only been knowing that my girls were okay that has kept me going this long without you.  
  
I can only guess at the thoughts and emotions that are running through your mind right now and I can only say I'm sorry. I'm sorry for putting you through the pain of thinking I was dead and I'm sorry that I had to let the charade carry on as long as I did. Most of all, I'm sorry that I've missed a year of your life. It's a year I'll never get back and I regret that more than you'll ever know.  
  
I was going to tell you where I've been and what I've been doing, but you deserve to hear it in person instead of reading it in a letter. Although it's finally safe for me to come and see you, it's going to be a few more weeks before I'm able to. So, on December 24th, I'll be in the campus coffee shop waiting for you. I'll wait there all day and if you come, then that will be the best Christmas present I have ever had in my life. If you can't face seeing the father who let you spend the last year thinking he was dead, then I'll understand and I will never get in touch again.  
  
All I ask is that you try to understand that I had very good reasons for doing what I did and that you don't hate me too much. Always remember that I love you and I was trying to protect you and Jenny the only way I knew how.  
  
I have no idea what I'm going to do about her, she deserves to know that I'm alive but, at the same time, I don't want to do anything to jeopardise her relationship with Preston. I know that the two of you have become close while I've been away, so maybe you'll be able to help me decide what to do.  
  
Love always, Dad.  
  
P.S. I'm hoping you'll agree to meet me, even if it's only to beat me to a pulp for making you go through the past year. DD.  
  
Randall finished writing the letter to Sydney and put down the pen with a sigh. He had spent days debating whether or not let her know that he was alive and it was only through Nigel's stubborn insistence that he was doing so now.  
  
Randall smiled when he thought of the younger man. He was the prefect match for his wild, headstrong daughter. Nigel kept her feet firmly on the ground while giving her spirit and soul free-reign. Randall knew that he never would have been able to leave Sydney for as long as he had if he hadn't known that Nigel was looking after her and, no matter what she said, his little girl had needed looking after.  
  
He read the letter one final time before slipping it into the already addressed envelope for posting, smiling when he saw the name on the front of the envelope. "Mrs. Sydney Bailey," he said out loud. "It's about damn time."  
  
As he walked down to the lobby of his hotel in Washington and dropped the letter into the mailbox, all he could think was, "I'm almost home."  
  
The end. 


End file.
